Nether Largie South Cairn

You'll find yourself standing in front of a 5,000-year-old cairn that looks, frankly, like a very large pile of rocks. Which it is. But it's what's underneath that matters - Nether Largie South is a chambered tomb from the Neolithic period, and stepping into that dark passage gives you an immediate sense of why Bronze Age people went to the trouble of hauling stones across Argyll.

The site sits near Lochgilphead in a landscape that's genuinely atmospheric. You can walk straight up to the entrance and peer inside, though the chamber itself is tight and low - not one for the claustrophobic. The whole thing takes about twenty minutes if you're just having a look, longer if you're the type to sit and wonder about the people who built it.

History buffs will get the most from this. Kids under eight will probably find it a bit dull unless they're properly into archaeology. Walkers combining this with The Pod Over By - just 3.5 miles away - could easily make a morning of the local Kilmartin Glen sites, which cluster together and deserve a proper explore.

It's free, naturally, and accessible year-round. Go when the weather's decent though - standing beside ancient stones in horizontal rain loses its appeal fast. Early autumn's ideal, when the midges have mostly gone and the light's proper golden.